Introduction

A single book trying to cover the Tiger I and II, and the last battles that they were involved in, in Western Europe during 1945 is a hard task for anyone. In this release from Pen and Sword as part of their tank craft series Dennis Oliver takes on just such a task.

Review

This offering from Pen and Sword as part of their tank craft series, looking at the Tiger I and II tanks, their last actions in 1945. This is a soft back book with 64 pages written by Dennis Oliver. The book has good quality glossy card cover that shows of the images present to good effect. The book has been printed in portrait style which makes for easy reading.

This book dives straight in listing the movements and actions from the 1st January 1945 to the 7th May 1945. These entries are of general interest to many, but for the modeller they give a clear indication of where to place your 1945 Tiger I or II, and which units they served with. The book also briefly looks at the histories, Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501, Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502, with Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 506, Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 507, Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 508, Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 510, Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 511, with Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 507 gets the greatest coverage. The information in these sections looks at when they were formed, and where they served, with Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 507 getting a breakdown of the actual company, and how they were assembled covering each tank number. There are a number of period photographs of a good quality often showing how the Tiger I and II met their end. The section comes to a close with side on views of the Tiger I and II and some of the late war colour schemes they were painted in.

Next up we hit the modelling section of the book, which starts with a:
Tiger I in 1/72nd scale depicting a vehicle in Germany in the Spring of 1945 by Steve Shrimpton
Tiger II in 1/35th scale depicted as being in Belgium in late 1944 by Lester Plaskitt
A second Tiger II in Germany in 1945 by Sheng Hui
With that the section comes to a close with a look at a number of aftermarket items and model kits. The pictures are of a very good quality, and I am also pleased to see photographs depicting the model prior to completion.

The book itself finishes with a look at very specific areas of the two tanks enabling you the modeller to indentify very specific parts of the tank and indentify them accurately. Dennis Oliver has also tackled the thorny issue of paint colours in this area of the book, which should probably be a book in its own right. There are a number of photographs of damaged vehicles, which are nice additions for someone looking to make a diorama featuring these tanks.

Conclusion

Dennis Oliver has tackled a very difficult subject with this book, and I commend his efforts for taking it on within the space afforded him. It has to be remembered that there have been tomes written about the Tiger I and II, and so it is no small feat to have written this book within the confines of 64 pages and keeping an informative and enjoyable read.